Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Living Free

Kodi and I are spending more time together. He was going to doggie daycare three days a week or so. Kodi is young and energetic and loves to meet and play with other dogs. Daycare seemed like a perfect place for him. Lately though he was coming home with some bad report cards -- he was apparently "arriving with an attitude" and sometimes being a "brat." Now, like any parent, you always assume that your dog is perfect, or at least not a bully. Kodi was, we were told, pushing around a dog or two and not letting up, which led him to be put in "time-out." Our Kodi?!

Since the point of sending him to daycare was to burn off energy and for him to have a good time, we decided to keep him out of daycare for awhile. I think this was Kodi's way of saying he was bored there and wanted to go on hikes and outings with me. Kodi loves to run free, and perhaps the daycare pens, although fairly large, were still too confining. And maybe he got bored with the usual batch of dogs and he was uncertain how to deal with new dogs that showed up.

Now Kodi and I go for several walks a day. This reminds me of my first year with Bella. She too loved to live free and the two of us spent many hours wandering woods and trails. Now Kodi is my daily companion. Of course my work suffers a little, but since I work for myself I can get away with it. Fall is a wonderful time to play hooky.

Red maples in Betty Meadows wetland, Northwood Meadows State Park

Yesterday we hiked a trail in Pawtuckaway State Park that borders Pawtuckaway Lake. We were miles and miles from any center of human activity with the woods completely to ourselves. As we walked, Kodi played in the lake, chased after chipmunks and squirrels, sniffed the woodland air, and ran and ran. I listened to acorns falling and rain drops tapping leaves overhead. I stepped over two red efts and watched a young otter swim playfully in a wetland dammed by a beaver.

Red eft on trail

A foggy wetland, home to the otter

Kodi in Pawtuckaway Lake, wondering about a large, exposed rock just offshore

Last night Kodi slept well, exhausted from a day well spent. I was a little more restless, perhaps thinking a bit about my work yet to be done. The rain is continuing for a third day in a row, so perhaps a good day to stay at the computer, at least until Kodi nudges me for our first walk of the day.